THE TIDE TURNS AT LAST..

Being `away from it all` last week, one of the things I missed the chance to rant about was the fallout from the Wayne Rooney tv obscenities and `Sir` Alex Ferguson`s response to the criticism of Rooney and his two game suspension imposed by the Football Association, who have finally discovered the value of cojones.

There was, as a matter of course, the predictable outcry from Old Trafford that Rooney was charged and banned and also that others were having the temerity to accuse  Manchester United of arrogance in the way they were `defending their corner.`   Now Rooney, declaring himself `gutted` at the ban, is alleged to have issued a heartfelt apology for his four letter televised outburst but it`s doubtful that Rooney either wrote or even read the statement to which he was attributed.  And I suspect that not only the non-Man. U public but also the sporting press have seen that such a wafer thin attempt to convince us and the FA of contrition  has merely served to harden the attitudes of those who have finally had enough.

I noticed with more than a little relief that a number of newspapers carried articles which condemned not just Rooney but also Ferguson who himself was recently banned for five matches and fined £30,000 for his unseemly rant against referee Martin Atkinson.  It`s been a long time coming, but the serial arrogance of the `institution` that is Manchester United has finally reached the point where any respect or admiration one might have had for their achievements - and they are many - have now been replaced by  a contempt and possibly even a sadness for the way in which they choose to conduct themselves.

And perhaps more significantly, the point has finally been reached whereby the attitude of at least the written press has turned the tide from slavish acquiesence at United`s excesses to guarded but clear disapproval.   As one much respected commentator wrote, "Some of us felt desperately sad when Sir Alex Ferguson demeaned himself so crassly.   Because it showed that the game`s madness has undermined his old judgment, that he is no longer the man he used to be.   And it demonstrated that football`s arrogance is not confined to the pitch."

As for me, in a fit of twisted logic, I hope Manchester United win the Premier League this season for the 19th time and thus provide the impossible Ferguson with the perfect reason to trudge back to the swamp with the rest of the dinosaurs and, at a stroke, provide United with a much improved public profile.   Heaven knows they need it.